Thursday, June 16, 2011

Happy Pride!

June is Gay Pride Month and my wife and I as well as most of our friends are getting all geared up for the big events here in Baltimore.
We have been making signs and dusting off the banner from last year. Phone calls and text to coordinate our group for rides, meeting places, and times.
Picking out or creating something new to wear that will be fabulous for those photo ops.
Making sure there are plenty of batteries for the cameras so we don't miss a thing.
This Saturday is the parade and Sunday is the party in the park. There will be music and food and rainbow everything.

While it is one of the biggest parties of the year and everyone is invited, it is a time to remember why we need a parade. Why we need to get together to laugh, play, dance, sing, and make ourselves more visible. Why we gather together as one family united in a cause.

We are here to review our history and culture from it's beginnings. We are here to morn the lose of those who died paving the way for our freedoms. We are here to remember the words of those worked and died trying to fight discrimination.
We are here to support our "family" no matter what letter of the alphabet in the colorful soup that is Queer.

This year has been full of great strides and advancements toward equality. It has also been one of disappointments, set backs and a hanis crime that proved a point.

One of the set backs here in Maryland was when they stripped the "gender expression and gender identity" from the bill that was suppose to protect everyone. This bill only protects some of our LGBT population leaving out our transgender and transsexual brothers and sisters as well as those of us that do not fit the norm of dress code and behavior.
One week later, a young lady was brutally beaten in a Mc Donalds for being transgender. The video was seen and commented on by the world! While no one should ever have to worry about being a victim of such a crime, we are subject to the opinions of those who pick and choose who goes on the list to be protected. I am so sorry for Chrissy Polis and what she suffered. She not only was beaten, it was seen world wide and thrust her and her family into the spotlight. Now that the 15 minuets of fame has passed, she will always be a shining example of why we need to have the same protections as every other human being. She is now a part of our LGBT history along side Harvey Milk,
Del Martin and Matthew Shepard.
This year was watched every day as one more beautiful child after another took their own lives rather than face the constant harassment and not just in school, but at home, church, job,.....everywhere.
All at the hands of Hate Groups that do not care about our children or families.
They had a hand in the reason Maryland still does not have equal marriage.

We welcomed new states offering civil union/ marriage and those who "jump the broom" this year while one state stripped protections from the LGBT population and made it so they could never vote on it again.

It is not as grim as it seems.
We will win. It's that thing about time.....
Pride for me is an everyday thing.

The parade is the greatest!!!!! It is our culture. I love Queens! ( I am one trapped in this frumpy old lady). Those leather chaps..,  motorcycles, feathers!!!!!!!, Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!
The high heel race is something. New Orleans has Marti Gra and show us your tits, we have tits and ass everywhere!!!
I used to think that some of it was embarrassing. It is always the most outlandish that makes it in the news and is a bad example of our over all population. I don't think that anymore.
It is what is like to be free to be who and what you are! It is the few times a year that we can hold hands in the street or kiss when we want without discriminating eyes. Knowing you can kiss and it will not spark a possible violent reaction. Being able to use a restroom without that knot in your throat.
It is how the world should be. Everyone feels it, shares it, and respects it.
I used to get depressed going home after such a rush of freedom. Going back to my more guarded existence did make me want to do what I can to help create that feeling in my everyday life.
Then there is the food and lots of drink,look at those legs/tits/ass, music, speeches, look at those legs/tits/ass,shopping, resting, sun block, sun burn, damn look at those legs/tits/ass, drive home, "I'll unpack tomorrow", I Love You, sweet dreams.

Happy Pride !

1 comment:

  1. Hey BJ, I don't know if you've seen this article about this years pride but it's amazing: http://indyreader.org/content/anti-corporate-queer-activists-crash-pride-parade And yeah, those are my friends crashing the party as usual lol

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